During its fifth edition in South America, the famous Dakar Rally will be hosted by three countries that already have revealed their magnificent natural charms in recent years. From the 5th to the 20th of January engines begin to roar again to traverse more than 8000 kilometers in Peru, Argentina and Chile.

Lima to San Pedro
For the first time in the Dakar’s history, the Peruvian desert enters the scene in the early stages of the rally. With the start podium in Lima, where the Pacific coastal neighborhoods of Chorrillos and Magdalena were chosen as the grounds for the technical and administrative controls, the race kicks off into the coastal desert land towards Pisco, Nazca and the sierra of Arequipa. Even though the starting days are less difficult than the following, allowing tension to gradually work its way up, it’s clear that the 2013 Dakar Rally leaves absolutely no room for improvisation. Crossing the border into the vast Atacama Desert of Chile, the race will see a grueling desert journey to the town of Calama, where the natural beauty of the Death Valley near San Pedro de Atacama will speak to the imagination of the pilots and onlookers alike.

If you visit Buenos Aires during the hot summer months, the heat and pollution can sometimes be a little too much. Why not then go for a short trip to the mountains near Cordoba for some air a tad cleaner and cooler. This area hosts a number of small towns popular among Argentineans as holiday destinations, and there are a lot of different things to see and do .

The town of Capilla del Monte lies at the foot of Mount Uritorco, reaching slightly less than 2000 meters above sea level. There are hotels and swimming pools in the town, but it is the mountain that attracts many visitors, due to its supposedly extra high levels of energy and that it has been visited by extraterrestrials…Supernatural or not, alien landing site or not, the scenery of the mountain is very beautiful none the less, both to look at from a distance and as an area for hiking. And one may also find the many salespersons and shops offering various new age items such as crystals and talismans quite entertaining as well.

VILLA GENERAL BELGRANO is situated in Calamuchita Valley, Province of Cordoba, in central Argentina. It is a small Argentine town full of German, Austrian, Swiss and Italian reminiscences that can be easily found in town typical festivals, delicacies and costumes. The European influence derives from the arrival in the ’30 of a large wave of central European immigrants.